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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 610

The Great War M.M. campaign group awarded to impressive Staffordshire county champion swimmer and water-polo player, Sergeant F. A. Critchley, Royal Engineers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (64542 Sjt F. A. Critchley. R.E.), note incorrect first two digits of service number; 1914-15 Star (46542 L. Cpl F. A. Critchley. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (46542 Sjt. F. A. Critchley. R.E.), very fine (4)

Frederick Arnold Critchley was born in 1890 to Thomas John Marsh Critchley and Ellen Critchley nee Cope in Levedale, Staffordshire, a notable local agricultural family and was educated at the Royal Orphanage, Wolverhampton. Critchley's sporting acumen was referenced in his obituary in the Staffordshire Advertiser on 10 February 1923:

"A fine, all-around athlete, he began his successful career as a swimmer in 1905, when he won the Stafford Club handicap, and in eight subsequent handicap races he secured a place. His greatest achievements were the winning of the Borough Championship Cup, presented by Sir C. E. Shaw, no fewer than seven times... He also gained distinction as a water-polo player and captained the Stafford team when they beat Burslem in 1911 in the final of the Staffordshire Cup. For several years he had played for the county, and in inter-league matches, scoring in one season no fewer than 52 goals. In 1923 he led the Staffordshire team to victory when they beat Warwickshire. Hockey (as a county player), football, and cricket found in Mr. Critchley an ardent devotee, and he was equally adept at tennis having won the club championship in connection with the Stafford Institute several times. An enthusiastic golfer, he was on the Management Committee of the Stafford Castle Golf Club and played a good all-round game."

Critchley worked at Siemens at Stafford when the company opened their new offices and he received training as an electrical engineer. At the start of the Great War, he enlisted to join the Royal Engineers at Stafford on 5 September 1914 but did not serve overseas in France until the 29 July 1915, where he was part of the 37th Divisional Signal Company. He was later promoted to 2nd Corporal on 28 February 1916, Corporal four months later, on 30 June, and finally Sergeant on 11 August 1919. In July 1917, Critchley married Kathleen Emerton in St Mary, Castlechurch in Stafford. He was gazetted on 24 January 1919 for his Military Medal for his courageous bravery at the Battle of Arras, April - May 1917.

After some time of feeling unwell, Critchley was sent to Staffordshire General Infirmary where he received an operation to treat appendicitis. Afterwards he felt better before his symptoms worsened again, before dying late in the evening, aged 33.

Sold with copied research.

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Estimate

Starting price
£110